

Colorado Matters
Colorado Public Radio
Hosted by Ryan Warner and Chandra Thomas Whitfield, CPR News' daily interview show focuses on the state's people, issues and ideas.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 30, 2024 • 49min
Oct. 30, 2024: Aging in rural Colorado; Tracking evaporation; The science of scares
In rural Colorado, one in five people is over 65. We'll talk about the challenges of aging in place in a small town, like Rangely, as part of our series, Aging Matters. Then, how climate change is changing evaporation, and what researchers are doing to catch up. Plus, the final push for votes in Colorado's closest congressional race. Also, an electrifying new superhero. And for Halloween, the science behind scares.

Oct 29, 2024 • 49min
Oct. 29, 2024: Colorado gets a new judicial district; An Aurora boy's journey to the big screen
For the first time since 1964, Colorado is getting a new judicial district. We'll talk about the impact it could have. Then, the remarkable story of Jeremiah Daniels, an Aurora boy who has Down syndrome who stars in the critically-acclaimed movie, "Color Book" which screens at the Denver Film Festival this weekend.

Oct 28, 2024 • 49min
Oct. 28, 2024: Food safety after E. coli outbreak; ‘Purplish’ on election security; Denver’s crowded ballot
Colorado officials have eliminated tainted meat as the cause of an E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s quarter pounders. That leaves raw onions as the likeliest source. Food safety expert Alice White explains why raw produce is a particular problem. Then, how Colorado secures the vote with “Purplish." And, in addition to 14 statewide ballot measures, Denver voters have another 12 local ones to decide.

Oct 25, 2024 • 49min
Oct. 25, 2024: Storytellers send chills down your spine
For Halloween, the hobgoblins at Denverite present "Denverfright," an evening of spine-chilling stories at The Bug Theatre. Brown Palace Historian Debra Faulkner informs us the call is coming from INSIDE THE HOTEL. Then, a drink with death at a Colfax dive bar. Plus, Denver novelist Kali Fajardo-Anstine shares a multi-generational family ghost story. And something foul from The Denver Museum of Nature & Science.

Oct 24, 2024 • 49min
Oct. 24, 2024: Support for domestic violence survivors as cases remain high; Nuggets are back in action
The number of people killed by domestic violence in Colorado is down by more than a third, but the number of cases is still high. Then, the Denver Nuggets open their NBA season tonight. What will it take to be a contender again for the championship? Plus, hometown hero Chauncey Billups gets his Basketball Hall of Fame moment. And later, Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, begins next week. It's a time of remembrance and a celebration of life. And food... is a central part.

Oct 23, 2024 • 49min
Oct. 23, 2024: Ukrainian family rebuilds life in Colorado; Carbon-friendly hotel takes root
When Russia invaded Ukraine, a young couple fled the home they'd just bought in Kiev with their three young children. Now they're living in Colorado and running a bike shop, but they don't know how long they can stay. Then, a new hotel in Denver hopes to minimize its carbon footprint well beyond its walls. Plus, a Colorado startup offers haunted rail rides for Halloween. And reimagining the oldest continuously-run business in Colorado.

Oct 22, 2024 • 49min
Oct. 22, 2024: Creating savings incentives for renters; Voters to decide Mesa County interchange project
Homeowners are able to build equity when they pay their mortgages; renters don't have that benefit. A new program hopes to create a different type of incentive. Then, voters in Mesa County will decide on a big interchange project this election that contrasts philosophies and vision. Plus, what we can learn from the highest alpine garden in North America. And a spine-chilling story to get into the Halloween spirit!

Oct 21, 2024 • 49min
Oct. 21, 2024: Explaining the 14 statewide ballot measures; The personal journey of a CPR host’s name change
Fourteen statewide issues crowd the ballot this fall. Our public affairs team explains each of the measures in “Purplish.” CPR's podcast about politics and policy. Then, the personal journey of a CPR News host's decision to reclaim his birth name.

Oct 18, 2024 • 49min
Oct. 18, 2024: Revisiting how the U.S. is updating its ‘geriatric’ nuclear arsenal
This country’s nuclear arsenal is “geriatric.” And many of the people who maintain it are heading towards retirement. Worrisome– if you believe, as the U.S. does, that nuclear deterrence keeps us safe. Colorado science writer Sarah Scoles examines the future of nuclear defense in her new book, “Countdown.” She spoke with Ryan Warner at the Center for the Arts in Crested Butte during the Mountain Words Festival in May.

Oct 17, 2024 • 49min
Oct. 17, 2024: How third-party candidates might impact Congress; Colorado Medical Society's new president
There's a saying, "every vote counts." And when an election is too close too call, third party candidates are often labelled as spoilers. A look at how they might affect the race in Colorado's 3rd Congressional District. Then, creating health equity, advocacy, and supporting the mental health of doctors. Those are some of the priorities of the state's largest group of physicians, the Colorado Medical Society. We speak with Dr. Kim Warner, its new president. Also, beer is big business in Colorado, and, the founder of the Colorado Symphony Chorus and Colorado Children's Chorale is retiring.